[My good friend and dentist, Dr. Alan Broner, has graciously agreed to let me tape him and share his easy to prepare Chili dish. CS]

Fast and Easy Chili

Ingredients

1 box Jack’s Gourmet Chorizo patties

1 large onion diced

1 Bell pepper diced

1 can of Kidney beans (or beans of your choice)

1 can of diced tomatoes

1 can of tomato sauce

canola oil for sauteing

Directions

Sweat the onions then the peppers in the canola oil until translucent, remove to another dish.

Saute the chorizo patties as you break them apart in the pan until cooked through.

Return the sauteed veggies to the pan with the chorizo.

Add the diced tomatoes, beans and and tomato sauce and bring up to temperature.

Serve with taco chips.

One of the advantages of doing food demonstration videos is that I get to taste the results… Though there were no rare, exotic, ingredients, though everything in this recipe is a common item you’d find in almost every home, the result was a truly delicious chili!

My laptop died on Tisha b’Av, when I got a new laptop the next day I found that my, 4 year old, USB wireless internet device was not Windows 8 compatible. UuuuGGGHHhhhhh!!!! Finally I’m back in business – the 4G device arrived – and I’m even getting used to Windows 8 (having used Windows since its very first incarnation, I hated the new one, but…). I promised you all, on the day prior to Rosh Chodesh Av, that I would share a recipe from the wonderful meal Irving Schild and his wife Regina treated me to, in their Pennsylvania lake cabin on July 4th, so here it is:

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, garlic, oregano, pepper and kosher salt.

Cut the chicken breast into 1 1/2 inch cubes and add it to the bowl. Toss to coat evenly and let stand for at least 2 hours.

While the chicken marinates, cut the onion and the bell peppers into 1-½ inches cubes and the zucchini into ¾ inch slices.

Thread the chicken cubes and vegetables onto 5 to 6 skewers. Arrange the skewers on the rack of a gas grill and cook at medium heat, turning the skewers frequently and brushing occasionally with leftover marinade.

Continue cooking until the chicken is brown and slightly burned outside. Remove from grill and serve immediately.

There were also spare ribs, grilled corn, steaks and grilled potatoes with melted margarine (just remembering the aromas and the flavors makes my mouth water again!). We washed it all down with Samuel Adams‘ Cherry Wheat beer… A feast to remember!

The fireworks on the lake, sitting in the Schilds’ speedboat, were the best I’ve seen in a very long time.

Richmond,VA’s Rudlin Torah Academy, published Manna from Heaven – while it differs from cookbooks designed to woow the reader as he or she imagines the various recipes, this one shows that you need not be a Cordon Bleu trained Chef to prepare succulent, wholesome dishes.

The underlying philosophy behind this cookbook is that food and Judaism are inextricable parts of each other, as stated in the preface. As such, you will find recipes for every holiday, for every occasion whether a party or just for the immediate family.

This is a cookbook designed to make the average cook shine, with sections such as:

Effortless

Breads

Spreads and Dips

Appetizers

Soups

Salads

Meat Poultry

Fish

Dairy and Bruch

Side Dishes and Vegetables

Desserts

From the easy – last minute preparations – to more complex dishes everything here is easy to make, and yet every recipe from Strawberry Bread to Blue Cheese Ball, from Marinated ‘Shrooms to Tomato Soup with Herbs and Feta, from Brandied Fruit Salad to Fail-Proof Rib Roast, from Arroz con Pollo Valenciana to Salmon in Orange-Honey Marinade, from Mediterranean Strata Lite to Ratatouille in Phyllo, from Peanut Butter-Chocolate Crispy Treats to Rugelach and more, are

During chol hamo’ed and the last days of yom tov I was in Richmond, VA and had the privilege of tasting a superb challa (one of the best I ever had!) made by the lady who created it for this cookbook. Here’s the recipe:

No Need to Knead Challah

(page 21) – Yields 8 loaves

Ingredients

6 packets quick rise yeast

2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar

4 cups warm water

5 pounds plus 3 cups bread flour

2 tablespoons salt

8 extra large eggs

1 1/2 cups oil.

1 egg plus 3 tablespoons water for wash

Sesame or poppy seeds, optional

Directions

Dissolve yeast plus 2 tablespoons sugar in 2 cups warm water in a medium bowl, Set aside. In an extra large bowl, mix flour and salt together and make a well in the center. In a separate bowl mix together remaining sugar, eggs and oil.

Add yeast mixture and 2 additional cups of warm water to sugar, egg amnd mixture. Slowly pour egg and yeast mixture into the well in the flour and mix. Make sure that all the flour is mixed into the dough. Mix only enough to combine all the ingredients. Cover with a damp cloth and either leave in the refrigerator overninght or let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, 2 -3 hours. In the morning, remove from refrigerator and place on a clean surface. Divide up dough into 8 portions, roll each portion into 3 ropes and braid loaves.

Spray baking sheets or large loaf pans and place challa on or in them. Cover again with damp cloth and allow to rise for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350 F. Beat egg with water and brush on challah. Sprinkle with either sesame or poppy seeds if desired. Bake 25-30 minutes until loaves are golden brown. Remove from oven and place on racks until cool. Challah may be wrapped in foil and frozen.

Each section opens up with a quote from sifrei kodesh, because this is more than just a cookbook, it shows the connection between what goes into a Jew’s mouth and his/her spiritual growth. You can order the cookbook online at the Rudlin Academy’s website. While you most likely did not attend the Culinary Institute of America nor Johnson and Wales University, you will still wow your family and friends with these recipes!

Not so long ago, kosher sausages were not all they could have been, not by far, but they were all that was available. Now, with choices like Pomegranate Supermarket(1507 Coney Island Avenue – corner of Avenue L – Brooklyn, New York 11230; Tel: 718.951.7112) sausages or Jack’s Gourmet Kosher Sausages(here, here, here, etc..), the kosher palate can delight in a plethora of incredible flavors.

Sausages with Mustard Mashed Potatoes

(Adapted from365 Ways to Cook – published byFirefly Books)

Photo from: 665 Ways to Cook, page 61

Serves 4
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

8 Sausages (I used Jack’s Gourmet Kosher Sweet Italian Sausages, but any other of their selections will do as well).

2 onions, cut into wedges

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 apples cored and cut into wedges

3/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons chicken stock

For the mustard mash

2 pounds potatoes, quartered and scrubbed

1/2 cup margarine

1-2 tablespoons whole grain mustard (I used Coleman’s)

1 clove garlic crushed

1 large bunch of fresh parsley, chopped

dash of olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions

Put the potatoes into a large saucepan of cold water, bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes, until tender.

Meanwhile, fry or grill the sausages over medium heat for 10 minutes, turning them to get an even color. Add the onion and apple wedges and cook with the sausages for 6-7 minutes.

Drain the potatoes well. When they are cool enough to touch , peel them, then mash well so they are nice and creamy. Add the margarine, mustard, garlic and a good sprinkling of salt and pepper to the potatoes and continue mashing. Taste and add more mustard if you want. Stir in the the parsley and olive oil.

Transfer the sausages, onion and apple to a serving plate. Pour off the excess fat from the pan to leave about 1 tablespoon, then mix in the flour. Gradually stir in the stock, bring to a boil and stir until thickened. Season and strain into a serving dish or pitcher.

Pile the mashed potatoes up on a plate and stick the sausages and onion wedges on top. Spoon over the gravy and serve.

Last evening I had dinner with some friends, the main dish was absolutely delicious, looked great and its aroma alone was enough to make even the most satiated creature hungry again! It was superb tasting, by any standard, even if I’m very partial to lamb.

When I asked the lady of the house for the recipe she referred me to a small book titled Mmmm… Casseroles, put out in 2010 by Parragon (under their Love Food imprint) in the UK. I can’t wait to make it myself, meanwhile here’s the recipe:

Trim any fat or gristle from the lamb and cut into thin strips. Mix the flour and cloves together. Toss the lamb in the spiced flour until well coated and reserve any remaining spiced flour

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a heavy bottom skillet and cook the lamb over high heat, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a casserole.

Add the onion and garlic to the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently for 3 minutes adding the extra oil if necessary. Sprinkle in the resrved spiced flour and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes then remove from the heat. Gradually stir in the orange juice and stock. then return to the heat and bring to a boil stirring.

Pour over the lamb in the casserole, then add the cinnamon stick, bell peppers, tomatoes, and cilantro sprigs and stir well. Cover and cook in the preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours, or until the lamb is tender.

Discard the cinnamon stick and adjust the seasoning adding salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately, garnished with the chopped cilantro.

Swiss chard is one of the most popular Mediterranean vegetables, while every vegetable has its own unique qualities, this one is rich in antioxidants and more. It is considered one of the most nutritious vegetables around, second only to spinach. Having said that, let’s face it we all remember the healthy food that tasted horrible, the foods that mom had to preface with: “Eat it, it’s good for you!” Well, surprise, surprise, Swiss chard actually enhances the flavor of any dish it’s used in!

This morning, for breakfast, I made frittata from a recipe I found in Sara Jay‘s Knives Cooks Love:

knives cooks Love, detail from photo on page 130

Chard, Mushrooms and Swiss Cheese Fritatta

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 pound Swiss chard

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

8 ounces white mushrooms, thinly sliced

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for sprinkling

1/2 cup cup minced shallots

8 large eggs

1/4 cup half and half

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Freshly ground black pepper

2 2/3 cups (5 ounces) grated Gruyère cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

trim the stems from the chard leaves. discard the stems. immerse the leaves in water to rid them of grit. Lift them out and drain. Crop the leaves coarsely.

Heat 3 teaspoons of oil in a 10 inch ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, sprinkle lightly with salt and sauté, stirring frequently, until golden brown, for 5 to 7 minutes. Lower the heat to medium, add the shallots, and cook until the shallots are softened but not browned, about 30 seconds. Add the chard a few handfuls at a time and cook, tossing with tongs, until soft and wilted, about 4 minutes.’ Add 1/4 spoon of the salt and continue cooking and tossing until all the liquid in the pan evaporates, about 3 more minutes. Turn off the heat.

Whisk the eggs, half and half, mustard, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and several grinds of pepper together in a medium bowl. Stir in the cheese. add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet and heat over medium heat. spread the out the vegetables evenly and, when the pan is hot, pour in the egg mixture. cook until the bottom is set, about 3 minutes, and then transfer the skillet to the oven.Bake in until the eggs are set on top, about 15 minutes.

Place the frittata under a broiler a few inches from the heat source until the top is golden, 2 to 3 minutes. remove from from the heat and let rest for a few minutes; the fritatta will pull away from the sides of the pan. Slice in the pan or else flip the frittata onto a plate and serve.

The author of Passover The Healthy Way is a Registered Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator and Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist. She provides Medical Nutrition Therapy for weight management, diabetes and other medical conditions to both adults and children. With such experience one would expect Bonnie R. Giller‘s cookbook to be filled with succulent and nutritious dishes. You know something? If that’s what you expect you will certainly love this cookbook!

It has gebrochs and non-gebrochs recipes (though the gebrochs outnumber the non-gebrochs). The featured dishes are divided into eight categories:

Soups and Other Meats

Fish

Vegetables

Side Dishes

Kugels

Dairy Dishes

Desserts & Baked Goods

It includes 5 Appendixes:

Measurement Equivalents

Tips for Sodium Reuction

Cooking and Baking

Substitutions

Food Labeling Terms

Mrs. Giller has graciously allowed us to share one of her poultry recipes:

First make the macarons. In a food processor combine the almond flour and confectioners’ sugar and process until well combined, 90 seconds. Flavoring: If making chocolate macarons, add the cocoa powder to the blended mixture and stir. If making vanilla macarons with the vanilla bean, add the seeds. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed until they form soft peaks. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the granulated sugar. Increase the speed to high and beat until stiff glossy peaks are formed, 90 seconds to 2 ½ minutes. If using coffee or raspberry extract, and/or food coloring, add now. Add the almond flour mixture all at once and beat until the mixture is just well combined, about 10 seconds. Do not allow the mixture to get soupy. Check by dropping 1 teaspoon on a flat surface. The mixture should spread slightly, not thin out. Surface marks should dissolve into the batter. If the mixture doesn’t spread at all, give it a few more stirs, and test again.

Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a ¼ -inch tip. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Anchor it at the corners with drops of the mixture. Pipe 1 1/2 – to 2- inch circles onto the paper. To do this easily, hold the bag at a 90- degree angle and squeeze it while keeping the tip stationary as the mixture spreads in a circle. Quickly lift the tip and form the next macaron. Let the macarons rest until their surfaces become dull and a crust forms,
about 60 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325 F. Bake the macarons until the tops are completely dry and the macarons come off the paper easily without any residue, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the macarons while still on the paper to a countertop. Cool and remove from the paper. To fill the macarons, turn them flat side down and pair them by matching size. Place 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons of filling on the bottom half of each pair, cover with the top half, and press to form a sandwich. The filling should be visible. Repeat with the remaining macaron pairs. Refrigerate overnight
and bring to room temperature before serving.

Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients

4 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate

½ cup heavy cream

Directions

Grind the chocolate in a food processor. Place the cream in a small glass bowl and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds on high. Stir and heat for 30 seconds more. The cream should be very hot. Alternatively, heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until hot, about 3 minutes. Add the chocolate and stir until melted and the mixture is well blended. Refrigerate, stirring every 15 minutes, until cool and the consistency of frosting is reached, about 60 minutes. If the ganache becomes too solid to spread, microwave it for 5 seconds and stir, or
beat it in a bowl over hot water for about 30 seconds.

Lemon Curd

Ingredients

½ cup sugar

Grated zest of 3 lemons

6 egg yolks

½ cup lemon juice

8 oz almond paste

2 teaspoons potato starch

8 oz almond paste

8T margarine, cut into ½-inch dice

Directions

In a mini food processor combine the sugar and lemon zest and pulse until combined. Fill a small saucepan 2/3 full of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. In a nonreactive bowl, combine the yolks, sugar and zest mixture, lemon juice and starch, place over but not touching the water, and whisk until it thickens to the consistency of a loose pudding, about 4 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and add the margarine, stirring to blend. Strain the mixture into a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap so it touches the top of the curd, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

— Bonus Recipes —

Onion-stuffed knaidlach

Ingredients

3 large eggs

5 tablespoons chicken stock or seltzer

5 tablespoons chicken fat or canola oil

3/4 teaspoon salt, plus additional

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1/4 cup chopped parsley

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (optional)

3/4 cup matzo meal

1 large onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

Directions

In a small bowl, combine eggs, stock, 3 tablespoons of the fat, salt, pepper, parsley and cilantro, if using. Add matzo meal and blend. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.

In a medium skillet, warm remaining fat over medium-high heat. Add onions and a pinch of salt and saute, stirring, until translucent and beginning to brown, about 12 minutes. Drain onions on a paper towel and set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Reduce heat so the water boils slowly. (Rapid boiling can make the knaidlach break when cooking.) Using wet hands, form 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons each of the matzo meal mixture into a disk held in one palm. Place 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons onion in the middle of the disc, pinch to enclose, and roll between both hands until a ball is formed. Drop into the water. Repeat with remaining mixture and onions.

When the knaidlach float to the surface of the water, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until tender, 45 to 60 minutes. Remove the knaidlach with a slotted spoon, transfer to soup, and serve.

Photo from Kosher Revolution, page 75, by Antonis Achilleous

Miso-glazed black cod

Ingredients

1/2 cup mirin

1/2 cup sake or dry white wine

1 1/4 cups white miso

2/3 cup sugar

6 black cod fillets (6 to 8 ounces each), skin removed

Directions

In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine mirin and sake and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute (to cook off the alcohol), reduce heat to medium, add miso, and stir until dissolved. Add sugar, increase heat, and stir until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Dry fillets with paper towels and put them in a gallon-size sealable plastic bag. Add miso glaze, seal and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours.

Bring the fillets to room temperature. Preheat broiler or place a grill pan or heavy skillet over high heat. Wipe excess glaze from the fillets and broil or grill, turning once, until brown and glazed, about 8 minutes. Transfer to plates and serve.

While growing up in Uruguay, my Poilishe mother learned to cook Italian to save me from getting beaten up by the neighborhood’s Italian bullies, however, for Shabbos or yomim toivim the fare was almost invariable Eastern European. One dish which I always considered a special treat was klops. I made it last evening and it was delicious! Ah, the memories it brought back…

Klops – Eastern European Meatloaf

Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 lb 8 oz fresh ground beef (not lean beef!)

1 carrot, grated

1 cup well packed, fresh white breadcrumbs

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2/3 cups crushed tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon oregano

3 teaspoons fresh parsley

2 hard boiled eggs

2 tablespoons ketchup

Directions

Heat the oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 7 minutes, or until softened and golden, stirring frequently. Add the the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat cool.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly grease a 9″x5″x3″ loaf pan. Put the ground beef into a large mixing bowl and add the onions, the garlic, the grated carrots, and the bread crumbs. Toss lightly to combine. Add the eggs, salt and pepper to taste, soy sauce, crushed tomatoes, and oregano. Using your hands mix the ingredients together until well blended. do not overwork or the mixture will be to dry. Divide in half.

Pour one half the mixture evenly into the loaf pan, Press half the mixture into bottom of a greased loaf pan. Arrange hard cooked eggs down center of the loaf. Cover completely with remaining meat mixture. Bake for 1 1/4 hours or until the edges start shrinking from the sides. Baste the top occasionally with the fatty juices. About 10 minutes before the end, brush the top with the ketchup to glaze.

Remove to a heatproof surface and leave to rest, tented loosely in aluminum foil for about 12 minutes. Pour off any excess fat that was not absorbed. Cut into thick slices and serve. Or refrigerate and serve cold.

Shifra Klein will be our guest, this evening, at 8:00pm (Eastern Time) on BlogTalkRadio.com. Shifra is Editor-in-Chief of Bitayavon, a magazine for the Jewish homemaker. The publication first appeared a year ago and has since grown, in its coverage, in its format, in its photography, getting better with every issue.

Tonight, we will discuss the magazine and its underlying philosophy, what makes its staff tick (starting with the Editor-in-Chief, of course) and where they expect to go next.

Meanwhile, in case you missed it, why not listen to our archived interview with June Hersh, from last week? June is the author of Recipes Remembered: A Celebration of Survival and Kosher Carnivore. She speaks from the heart about food and its deeper meaning, the deeper significance to us – as Jews – as a record of our history, as part of a chain that links us to an almost forgotten moment of time that ended all too tragically. The Holocaust survivors she interviewed have, against all odds, succeeded in rebuilding their shattered lives, proving that while our enemies can cause us terrible damage, they will never conquer us, they will never destroy us. In her second book, Kosher Carnivore, she brings us delicious recipes sure to whet the palate of everyone but the most determined, hardened, vegetarian.

Please listen in to our show this evening on BlogTalkRadio.com, this evening at 8:00pm (Eastern Time), we’ll be waitin’ for ya!